Recently I had the incredible opportunity of visiting Costa Rica on vacation.  It was awesome.  I went rappelling, zip lining, horseback riding, hiking, and swimming.  I visited a volcano, the rain forest, and the beach.  I saw iguanas, exotic birds, raccoon looking animals, and monkeys (los monos)!  It was a whirlwind vacation that was just absolutely amazing, and came at just the right time.

My first night home was a late one…so I just ate and crashed.  After a full day of work (of which I was almost an hour late due to oversleeping…oops!), I came home and worked on my pictures from my trip and did some laundry.  Repeat sleep.   Repeat work.  Second night home it happened…

I slipped off my work clothes and slipped on my running clothes.  Laced up my shoes.  Stepped out the door.  The cold air, so different from Costa Rica’s 86 degree temperatures, smacked me in the face, taunting me.  I turned my GPS on (gotta love the Garmin) and waited patiently as it located the satellites.  Looking around as I slowly walked down the sidewalk, I didn’t truly understand why  I was out here, freezing, while everyone else was in their warm homes or, the lucky ones, back in Costa Rica.

The Garmin found its satellites…it was time.  As I took one step, and then another, a wonderful feeling came over me.  Although I had been back in the US, back in New Jersey, back in my condo, back in my own bed, for two days…I hadn’t been home.  But as I took step after step, as my breathing rate increased and my blood started flowing, as the wind blew through my hair…it felt like coming home.

Home is where the heart is, and my heart belongs to running.  It’s the one place where I always feel right…whether it’s 70 and sunny, 25 and snowing…whether it’s flat and easy or hilly and hard…running will always be my safe haven.  It’s my escape, my sanctuary, my “happy” place.

While vacation was a blast, there’s nothing better than coming home.